Welcome to the help center for DoubleClick Search, a platform for managing search marketing campaigns.
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DoubleClick Search overview

Effective settings

The value that DS is using for a property. This is either the value that you have set specifically for a property or, if you have not set a value, the value that is inherited from higher up in the DS hierarchy.

In DoubleClick Search (DS), max CPC can either be set explicitly for a biddable item or inherited from the ad group. Likewise, min bid and max bid can either be set explicitly for a biddable item or inherited from a bid strategy. DS always uses the setting from the biddable item if specified, and uses settings from the ad group and bid strategy as a fallback. The value that DS is using for one of these properties is called the effective setting.

For example, if an ad group sets its max CPC to 2.00:

If a keyword in this ad group sets its own max CPC to 3.00, the effective setting for the keyword—and the setting that DS traffics to the engine—is 3.00.

If another keyword in the same ad group does not specify its own max CPC, the effective setting for that keyword—and the setting that DS traffics to the engine—is 2.00.

Effective settings and automated rules

Automated rules only work on settings that you have set explicitly. For example, if you create a rule to increase keyword bids by 10% and a keyword is inheriting max CPC from the ad group, DS won’t change the keyword's max CPC setting.

Effective columns in the UI

In the DS UI, the Max CPC, Min bid, and Max bid columns show the effective values. That is, these columns show either the value that has been explicitly set for a biddable item or the value that is being inherited from the ad group or bid strategy.

Effective columns in bulksheets

When you download biddable items in an editable bulksheet, you’ll see two columns for each of these settings:

Max CPC:

Keyword max CPC: Use this column to explicitly set max CPC for a keyword and override the ad group's setting. If the keyword is currently inheriting max CPC from the ad group, you’ll see a value of (inherited).

Effective keyword max CPC: Shows the effective max CPC. This column is display-only; edits to this column will be ignored.

Min bid:

Min bid: Use this column to explicitly set min bid for a biddable item and override the bid strategy's setting. If a biddable item is currently inheriting from the bid strategy, you’ll see a value of (inherited).

Effective min bid: Shows the effective min bid. This column is display-only; edits to this column will be ignored.

Max bid:

Max bid: Use this column to explicitly set max bid for a biddable item and override the bid strategy's setting. If a biddable item is currently inheriting from the bid strategy, you’ll see a value of (inherited).

Effective max bid: Shows the effective max bid. This column is display-only; edits to this column will be ignored.

If you edit and upload a bulksheet, DS ignores any changes you make in the effective-value columns, such as Effective keyword max CPC.

DS does not display validation errors if you accidentally edit the effective-value columns.